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Did you buy that big, honking iPhone 6 Plus so that you could watch Netflix videos in glorious 1080p? If you did, today's your lucky day. Netflix has updated its iOS app to make full use of the higher-res screens on the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, including native 1080p playback on the Plus; like your Android 4.3+-toting counterparts, you won't miss a pixel on most content. The release is also better-behaved under iOS 8 and improves Chromecast streaming, so you'll want to swing by the App Store even if you don't carry one of Apple's larger smartphones.

Netflix's Android app hasn't made searching very easy so far. While it'll give you thumbnails, the heavy emphasis on text in results has sometimes meant scrolling through gigantic lists. It should be much more elegant as of today, however; a just-launched update has brought visual search (previously found just about everywhere else on Netflix) to Google's platform. Look for a title and you'll get nothing but pictures, making it easier to find an iconic movie or TV show based on its artwork.

One of the most alluring (if dangerous) features of Netflix is its auto-play feature -- that's how you end up watching half of House of Cards when you only meant to check out one episode. Chromecast owners haven't had that luxury, however, so Netflix is releasing new versions of both its Android and iOS apps that enable the serial viewing option when you're using Google's streaming media stick. It works much like you'd expect if you were watching on the mobile device itself, but gives you extra time to reach for that phone buried in the couch cushions. You should see both apps surface within the next few days, and PC support is due "soon."

It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get some the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world.

You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the player at the top of the page. The Daily Update has been moved to a new podcast host in the past few days. Current listeners should delete the old podcast subscription and subscribe to the new feed in the iTunes Store here.

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daily updatedailyupdateiOSiOS 8netflixOS X Yosemitepodcaststeve sandeThe Weather ChannelYahooWed, 04 Jun 2014 18:30:00 -040016|20906777http://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/23/netflix-to-pay-comcast-for-better-connection-and-speed/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
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Pretty much every contemporary gaming machine - be it a tablet, smartphone, console, handheld or PC - has the ability to connect to the internet for streaming media content. If you're using such a device to watch Netflix on a Comcast network, your speed and stability should see a bump in the near future.

Netflix and Comcast have announced a new joint partnership in which Netflix will pay the internet and cable service provider for direct access to its broadband systems. Netflix previously worked with a middleman company called Cogent through which they bought their bandwidth, but now that company has been cut out of future proceedings.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the deal was originally struck in January, but it wasn't until today that the companies released a joint statement confirming the new relationship. January was also when a Washington, DC appeals court voided the anti-blocking and anti-discrimination rules that the FCC used to enforce net neutrality, which you can read more about thanks to our friends at Engadget.

Update: To clarify, although the net neutrality ruling and Netflix/Comcast deal both occurred in January, the two are separate affairs. The Netflix/Comcast deal is a paid peering agreement securing Netflix's access to Comcast's network, but the deal does not grant them preferential access. The story's text has been changed to reflect this.

EngadgetWall Street Journal
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3dsandroidinternetiosipadiphonemacmicrosoftmobilenet-neutralitynetflixnintendopcplaystationplaystation-vitaps3ps4vitawiiwii-uxboxxbox-oneSun, 23 Feb 2014 19:30:00 -050011|20836301http://www.tuaw.com/2013/10/03/nextguide-comes-to-iphone-get-control-of-your-media-viewing/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=TUAW.com&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.tuaw.com/2013/10/03/nextguide-comes-to-iphone-get-control-of-your-media-viewing/http://www.tuaw.com/2013/10/03/nextguide-comes-to-iphone-get-control-of-your-media-viewing/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=TUAW.com#commentsTUAW looked at NextGuide more than a year ago, at which time it was a website and iPad app that alerted TV fans about movies and TV programs they might want to see. It was kind of a super TV Guide, but more personal. The free app has now come to the iPhone, and features push notifications in addition to emails (you can choose to get both or none). In the latest iOS 7-enabled app, NextGuide is deeply integrated with Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Instant Video and the iTunes Movie Store.

For example, if you are looking for movies starring actor Gregory Peck, the guide will find showings of his films on the streaming services, over-the-air TV, on cable or satellite. You can get a reminder that a movie is coming up, or you can choose to watch Peck films on any streaming services you have. For example, if I click on Netflix, the app switches to my Netflix app, and starts playing the movie. That's very cool.

With NextGuide, you don't have to have watchlists scattered about on different services -- now you can maintain a single list right in this app. The app also features an episode tracker and fall show previews. There are links to reviews from Rotten Tomatoes as well, so the information is pretty much everything a person would need to intelligently find things to watch.

I tried the app and set it for DirecTV, which is my provider, and then added Netflix and Amazon Instant Video. It worked as advertised.

I can think of a few improvements for NextGuide. I'd like to set up some permanent searches, and have the app learn my preferences the way Netflix does. While the app can initiate recordings on DirecTV DVRs, it would be great if that also worked on cable and other services. That would require the cooperation of those companies, which all have their own apps, so I'm not holding my breath on that.

Still, NextGuide is very handy, and provides loads of viewing information in one place. I love the integration with Netflix and Amazon Instant Videos right on my iPhone, and the reminders are valuable.

NextGuide is now a universal app, and it requires iOS 6 or later. It's been nicely optimized for iOS 7 and the iPhone 5 series devices with their larger screens.

If you're a Netflix subscriber, you may know the pain of having multiple people in your household whose tastes in movies may mess up your profile. You like action and adventure films, but one of the kids wants animated kids movies and poof, your profile is a mess.

Netflix is rolling out fixes for that, beginning today. You can add up to five separate profiles, so people will get suggestions based on their specific likes and dislikes. They will also see their own Recently Watched and Instant Queue lists.

The new feature is expected to roll out to iOS devices, Blu-ray players, smart TV's and other devices over the next few days. Apple TV is included.

For now, you'll have to set up the new profiles in the Netflix website, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the ability to create or add profiles added to iOS and other devices soon.

Adding individual profiles is good for users, but it's also good for Netflix, who decides what content to buy based on having good access to user choices. A Netflix spokesperson says about 75-80 percent of what is watched on Netflix comes from the recommendation engine, not user searches.

It's just been a few weeks since Netflix for iOS was suited with a novel audio menu and episode selector, but the app has now already reached version 4.1. While this particular release isn't as major as, say, v2.0, some of the post-play features that have rolled out on TV connected devices and PCs are trickling down to the mobile platforms. Namely, once an episode is over, the next one starts playing automatically without any intervention required (it requires a prompt to proceed after every other episode). In the case of movies, you can expect to see a new recommended selection once the credits roll, and Netflix also promises some other more minor improvements elsewhere in the app, including under the hood tweaks to its second screen experience. Finally, Netflix also announced today that it's signed a multi-year deal for five Disney Junior and Disney XD shows: Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Tron: Uprising, Handy Manny, Special Agent Oso, and JoJo's Circus.

Netflix has released an update to its iOS app, bringing a few subtle design tweaks in addition to a feature that wasn't available in version 3.0. Along with a redesigned audio menu and subtitle selector, the refreshed app includes a button for switching episodes within a series while an episode is playing. This is an essential feature if you, like us, occasionally forget where you left off in sagas like The West Wing. Check it out via the source link.

You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

The way we watch movies and television is evolving, as more people adopt on-demand video. But still, the old question remains: "What's on that's worth watching?"

The free web service Can I Stream It can help provide an answer. It lets you search for your favorite shows and movies to see if they are available on popular streaming, rental and digital purchase services. Can I Stream It will notify you when a currently unavailable program or film later becomes available on your selected services.

Can I Stream It is available for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and as a Chrome extension. Just today, I was poking around and discovered Snatch, one of my favorite Guy Ritchie flims, available on YouTube for free. Being so used to watching streaming content via Netflix and Hulu Plus, I had forgotten YouTube streams many full-length movies because of large content providers like Crackle.

The next time you find yourself in the mood for some Aaron Sorkin, Charlie Kaufman or Ernest P. Worrell, Can I Stream It can whisk you away into the cinematic worlds of The Newsroom, Synecdoche, New York or Kamp Kikakee.

Netflix has been steadily improving its iOS app since it debuted back in 2010. The latest version hit the app store yesterday and includes a few tweaks that improve the overall experience of the app.

Netflix 3.0 includes a new iPad-only feature that'll display the title of the TV episode or movie that you are watching when you tap on the screen. Users will also notice that Netflix revamped the layout for the play/pause/back buttons, making them easier to use. Lastly, Netflix brought back the zoom icon so you can easily jump to fullscreen mode.

Sony's now obsolete PS3 may be the Netflix streaming device of choice, but that doesn't mean the popular streaming service will ignore other platforms. The Netflix app on iOS, which saw its last big refresh back in September last year, has just been bumped up to v3.0 -- bringing with it a slew of UI changes aimed towards improving your movie-watching experience. The zoom icon that was removed previously is now back for easier access to full-screen viewing, while a tap displays video titles if you're using the app on the iPad. The three-point change log also includes a relocation of the playback controls. Nothing profound, but hey -- could be worth your while if it keeps you away from reality just a little longer.

You can download it for free, although it won't do you much good if you don't have an invitation to the service. But there are some screenshots on iTunes of what it looks like (basically like Netflix, not surprisingly). The fact that the app is out and running already shows just how quickly Redbox is planning to get this off the ground.

Personally, I think it's great. I quit Netflix a few months ago because I wasn't happy with the selections there, and competition is always good. Hopefully if Redbox and Verizon pick up a sizable audience, we'll see lots more innovation in the video-streaming market.

Sweden is home to some of the world's better known movie makers and some very high speed data connections, but it has only had so much love from movie streaming services that you'd think would be a natural match. Netflix is making that union a reality today through the launch of its Watch Instantly service in the country. Pay 79 kronor ($12) a month and you'll get access to a mix of both international and domestic movies and TV shows on any device that can take Netflix in the country, which includes at least computers as well as Android and iOS devices. Other Nordic territories are still promised as coming soon; although that won't be much help to Danes, Finns or Norwegians, we're sure Swedes won't mind having one more excuse to flaunt their cheap fiber internet access.

When you use the iPad or iPhone app to play a video while on the same network as a PlayStation 3 (also running Netflix), you'll see an option to watch on your device or the PlayStation. Opt for the latter, and you can control the PS3 playback with your iOS device.

It's a very cool feature that must have been implemented only recently (which is probably why it's poorly documented). Unfortunately, this trick seems to be limited to the PS3. As long as Netflix can see which devices you're logged in on, however, it should be able to control them as well. We can expect to see more of this cross-device app action in the future, especially as cloud apps and services like this become more and more prevalent.

Now that the revamped Netflix interface has hit phones and tablets for both Apple and Android powered hardware, the service has quietly enabled something else: second screen remote control. Currently the feature is only known to work on the PlayStation 3 with a mobile device on the same local network, once the two apps are running you can browse as normal on your phone or tablet and when you go to play a movie or TV show it asks you to choose where it will play. While the video is playing you can stop, pause or seek through it to a certain point, change the audio or subtitles, choose a different episode or even browse for something entirely different without stopping the action. The YouTube app on PS3 works in a similar fashion after its most recent update. We've got a few screens of the mobile apps at work in the gallery, check after the break for a quick video of it working.

It's not just the Android side of things that's getting a little love from Netflix, the iPhone app just got a refresh too. The new design brings the mobile version much more inline with the tablet edition that got a revamp last December. The update brings with it the ability to resume watching shows, right from the top of the app view, along with the sliding rows of titles, and custom recommendations that you may be familiar with from other versions. The new interface gets the official walk-through in the video after the break, but as it's available now, you might just want to fondle the source link directly.

NextGuide is pretty much the ultimate answer to the age-old question, "What should I watch?" But it's not just a recommendation engine, or a simple listing guide. It's a powerful discovery tool and a launcher, with an array of filters and search options for finding what you want, plus deep integration with services like Netflix and DIRECTV satellite service. With Netflix movies, it will take you directly to what you want to watch. For DIRECTV customers, it can initiate recordings.

The app is free, so I'll let you try it out for yourself. It's iPad-only, because the experience wouldn't be the same on an iPhone. The demo I saw was quite impressive, however. If you're looking for something, you can do a basic search, which will extend across online and TV content, and you can look at what your friends on Facebook might be watching or would recommend (this is smartly done, and I'm very picky about social integration), plus there are Rotten Tomatoes film ratings built right in.

The interface is quite lovely as well, eschewing the standard grid for a more dynamic tiled grouping of shows (seen above). Plus, you can create your own categories from anything -- an actor, a place, your favorite sports team, etc. Later you can also hide the stuff you don't want to see, so if you hate Westerns, you'll rarely see them and you can focus on discovering even more shows.

There's an alert system in NextGuide, to help remind you of that show you wanted to watch, but it also reminds you if a particular artist will be on. Say Tavis Smiley is interviewing Sheryl Crow and you have her as an alert -- you'll be notified when she is on the show.

Of course there's also the usual lineup of features, like show info, trailers, etc. but the social integration is clever and subtle. As seen below, a show with fans on Facebook is seen with the show's info, and some of the fans you might know. That's really clever and doesn't get in your face or require a lot of work like most social tools that are grafted into apps like a Frankenthumb.

Until Apple comes up with whatever groundbreaking interface for TV discovery it's hiding in the labs, NextGuide is likely the next best thing. Check it out and let us know what you find.

The Viewdini streaming metasearch service launched a few months ago for Verizon's 4G LTE-laden Android hardware, and now it's finally available on iDevices. While the droid app is exclusive to those with a 4G plan on Big Red's network, anything running iOS 4.3 and up can now make use of Viewdini, independently of carrier ties. As the screenshots above show, you're also good to go on 3G, although you better watch that data allowance to avoid any nasty surprises. Interestingly, the iOS version currently only digs through the catalogues of 11 content providers compared with 18 on the Android version, but you're still getting access to various big names like ABC, Crackle, Hulu Plus, Netflix and Verizon's own video service. More providers should be added to the list soon, and if you'd like to give Viewdini a try, it's available at the App Store now.

Netflix has updated its iOS interface to run a little more smoothly and look a little nicer while playing streaming media on both the iPhone and the iPad. You can see the iPhone version above -- there are bigger buttons more clearly laid out, and the search bar itself has "more precise seeking capabilities," presumably allowing you to find a certain point in your show or movie more easily.

There are also thumbnail images on the scrub bar itself, and a few new options, including the choice to have Netflix not stream when not on Wi-Fi (to save data charges on 3G or 4G), or to not share on Facebook when connected up to the social network. Netflix was already a great app, and now the interface is even better, thanks to this free update available now.

There's still no word available on HD video streaming, but Netflix has just released version 2.2 of its app for iPhones and iPads. While the front end got tablet friendly in December and received a Retina Display makeover in March, this version brings a new player UI to all iOS devices. The new scrub bar seems much easier to reach and control now, while the button for subtitles has a received a tweak reminiscent of the new look recently pushed to Netflix's web based player. Also under that button is a new option allowing for alternate language soundtracks (where available), while the changelog goes on to mention "general performance improvements". Not documented but present is the addition of thumbnails in that scrub bar, easier access to "do not share" for Facebook-connected members and the ability to restrict streaming to WiFi-only in the settings. The new version is shown above, check after the break for a grab of the old player to see the difference. As always, the latest update can be found in the app store, we'll let you know if we hear of any extra details or changes on other platforms.

First, Netflix has redone the user interface for the app. It's a lot better to look at, shows more movies per page, and has a nice graphical representation of movies you have started but haven't finished, and how far along you are. The app also has some bug fixes and adds access for Latin America. Still no support for AirPlay, which is a bit of a downer.

Meanwhile, Google has updated its official Gmail app. The new version supports nested label improvements, custom sounds (iOS 5 only) and what Google calls "numerous bug fixes" and UI improvements.

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GmailiOSiPadiPhoneNetflixWed, 14 Dec 2011 22:00:00 -050016|20128215http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/14/netflix-updates-ios-app-with-new-ipad-optimized-interface/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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We've already seen Netflix's more tablet-optimized interface in the latest version of its Android app and now, as promised, the company has brought much the same UI to its iOS app. In addition to giving iPad users the ability to view more content at a glance, version 2.0 of the app also brings with it support for Netflix users in Latin America, as well as a number of stability fixes. As always, it remains free for Netflix members -- hit up the App Store to download it now.

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appapplehdpostcrossinterfaceiosios appIosAppipadnetflixstreaming videoStreamingVideotabletuiWed, 14 Dec 2011 13:37:00 -050021|20128054http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/24/netflix-streaming-to-uk-ireland-in-early-2012/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
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Movie (and perhaps game) rental service Netflix will launch in the UK and Ireland in early 2012, the currently volatile company announced this morning. Similar to the service's expansion into Canada, the company will only offer its streaming service. Netflix also began streaming in 43 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean in September 2011.

Netflix stated that streaming will be available on TVs "via a range of consumer electronics," but no specific consoles are mentioned. Streaming will also be available on PCs, Macs and mobile devices. Specifics about pricing, content and supported devices will be announced closer to launch.

This is a bit of good news from the company that recently crawled out of a PR debacle and has seen its stock drop by over half, following several missteps over the past three months.